Plastic Bags.

[smurfchops]

So now we have to pay for carrier bags. Good idea. A better idea would be to make all plastic bags bio degradeable or use recyclable strong paper bags in all shops. Your thoughts?

[ummmm]

I don't care. 5p is not going to make me overdrawn!!

[RATTER15]

I think that the money taken for bags goes to charity or other worthwhile cause, I'm all for it!

[EDDIE51]

Supermarket bags already are biodegradable, have been for several years.

[Old_Geezer]

No not a good idea. An excuse to grab cash. I believe that even degraded one still has minute bits of plastic. I assume that is still a problem as it gets into the food chain with presently unknown consequences. If this is a worry why is plastic (particularly bags) not simply banned ? Anyway we still use plastic bin liners and rubbish bags. Yes paper bags are a good idea except they will have lost their excuse to charge for them, and that would never do. 5p of £5,000, it's the principle of control and taxation that is wrong. As for 80% of the money going to charity, I am capable of deciding to give money to charity myself, and choose the charities I wish to give to. Although it is a better idea not to need charities; we have an elected government that should be ensuring all needs/responsibilities are catered for.

[Old_Geezer]

5p OR £5,000

Like I £$%^£%$^&%£$&£ typed !

[Retrochic]

Ummmm "I don't care" -would that be about the environment then? or the 5p?

[ummmm]

I don't care about the 5p. I'd happily pay more.

You can really see the difference in Ireland.

[1ozzy]

I suspect the 5p Retrochic.
How many people purchase kitchen bin liner bags when old shopping bags will do the same job?
Seems to me to be bull shirt.

[EDDIE51]

^^ I have always used supermarket bags as bin liners, so now I will have to buy them.

[maggiebee]

Shoppers in Scotland have paid 5p for their carrier bags for quite some time now. I just buy "bags for life" which the supermarkets replace when they're worn out. The only places I do object to the charges are eg M&S, Debenhams etc. when I've spent up to £100 on clothes etc.

[1ozzy]

And Eddie, there will be a manufacturing plant pumping out toxins so you can buy bin liners that the go to landfill and do not degrade.
When the shopping bags are already produced?
And this is supposed to reduce wastage?

Yeah right

On your side here ;-)

[dannyk13]

It's not hard to take your own non-plastic bags when shopping.

[Retrochic]

I preferred the large heavyweight brown bags you get for your groceries in the USA and Canada. Are these bags that you are going to have to pay for bio-degradable? IF not they should be. Can't they make 'plastic' bags out of seaweed or something now?

[ummmm]

Tesco deliver fruit/salad in brown paper bags. I reuse them for the boys lunches.

[gness]

If folk have to now purchase liners for bins that is what they will be used for and won't go empty to landfill.
Not everyone uses all, if any, of their plastic shopping bags to line bins and they are discarded empty, off to landfill to blow around the countryside.

As Ummmm says, the difference it's made in Ireland is just wonderful.......I can drive out of Dublin and not see trees and bushes decorated with discarded (because they were free) plastic bags.....x

[Prudie]

We've had lots of threads about this, I don't care about the 5p. What has suddenly struck me though is how is this going to be handled at self-service check-outs?

[gness]

Plastic bags will be hanging on a metal hanger plugged into the electricity supply, Prudie....you'll have to insert 5p per bag to turn off the power before taking a bag.... ;-)

[Retrochic]

very good point Prudie -even more aggravation
" you have taken a bag -you will be charged 5p"
" No I blinking haven't"
"Unknown bag in bagging area"
LOL!

[Chipchopper]

I agree!
The last thing the world needs is more plastic.

[Ric.ror]

I'm a bit confused - are all bags with the 5p surcharge
If I buy a frock from Marks will I have to pay for a bag?


I actually like the paper bags from Primark